On Wednesday, February 14th, the lives of many were drastically altered in Parkland, Florida. Shortly after 2:00 pm, a nineteen year old male, identified as Nikolas Cruz, entered Majority Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. He carried an assault rifle and triggered the fire alarms in an effort to lure the students into the hallways. He began shooting at the students and then dropped his weapon, attempting to blend into the crowd. In the midst of the shooting, seventeen lives were lost. This horrendous event launched a series of issues that are prevalent in today’s society. Here are just a few issues that came to the surface as a result of the shooting:
1. The United States’ Gun Laws
Currently, the United States stands by the second amendment, giving the majority of Americans the right to bear arms. Compared to many other countries in the world, the United States has a seemingly relaxed policy on gun ownership. Proponents of gun law restrictions suggest that mental health screenings should be conducted before the purchase of a gun and that certain guns be banned from civilian consumption as a whole. These individuals believe that guns make extreme violence more likely. In fact, on Monday, February 19th, many teenagers protested these laws by lying down outside the White House for three minutes—the time it took for Cruz to kill the seventeen students. Those who oppose harsher gun control laws suggest that their freedoms are being stripped from them and that guns are not the cause of violence in our society. They often suggest that the removal of guns will have no impact on violent crimes, as the perpetrators will find other means to do so.
2. The treatment of mental health
Once Cruz was apprehended by law enforcement, he appeared in court for his hearing. His first hearing was not public, but his second one was televised. This public appearance was discouraged by his counsel, suggesting that it would only subject him to unnecessary ridicule. In this hearing, his attorneys argued that Cruz was mentally ill and that the local community had failed to provide him with treatment. They even revealed that despite evidence of self-harm and grave plans for criminal activity, a mental institution opted out of hospitalization. This has spurred debates regarding action on mental health. Many believe that the larger issue at hand is a lack of support for mentally ill individuals. Others believe that mental illness does not diminish his crime, and he should be held accountable—many are in favor of the death penalty for Cruz.
3. The racial divide in the United States
This shooting has quickly become a matter of race in the eyes of some. It has been said that society is refraining from using the word “terrorism” because of Cruz’s caucasian nature. It has also been said that Cruz was apprehended alive because of his skin color. This notion has been disproven, however, as Cruz surrendered himself when found by the police, and any shots taken by the police would have been deemed excessive force. The issue of classifying this an act of terrorism, however, remains prevalent. It seems that a great fraction of society regards terrorism as being only foreign, and do not identify school shootings as domestic terrorism.
4. Creating a culture of change—not “thoughts and prayers.”
Overall, this has created a widespread ideology that inspires change. President Trump offered his “thoughts and prayers,” which resulted in the response that society does not just want “thoughts and prayers,” but action and change. This concept has been sweeping social media and has resulted in protests regarding social change. One must ask, however, in a world where new ideas are “#trending” daily, will this actually lead to social change? Only time will tell.